The conciliation talks convened by the State government here on Saturday to discuss the various issues raised by plantation workers and managements failed to break the deadlock on the demand for wage revision.
The joint action council of trade unions announced that it would go ahead with the indefinite strike in plantations from September 28. Emerging from the day-long meeting of the Plantation Labour Committee comprising representatives of the unions and managements, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John said the committee would meet again on September 29 to find a negotiated settlement.
The talks remained deadlocked on the key demand for a minimum wage for workers in tea, coffee, cardamom, and rubber plantations in the State.
While the unions remained adamant on the minimum wage of Rs.500, the managements refused to concede the demand. Mr. John said the government had put forward a few suggestions to resolve the stalemate.
“The managements have asked for more time to study the suggestions and rework their proposal. The PLC meeting on the 29{+t}{+h}is expected to come to a settlement after discussing this issue.”
The trade unions put up stiff resistance to a proposal by the managements to link the wage hike to employee productivity.
The Minister said the meeting on Saturday had decided in principle to convert the one room line houses in plantations into two room tenements.
The meeting also decided to bring estate workers into the comprehensive health insurance scheme.
“Under the scheme, workers would be eligible for free treatment up to Rs.30,000. The contribution of workers and other details remain to be finalised,” he added. The government managed to persuade the managements to foot the expense for blankets and umbrellas for workers in the high ranges.
Talking to the media, leaders of various unions said workers in all plantations in Kerala would go on an indefinite strike from September 28. Leaders of the AITUC, CITU, INTUC, HMS, BMS, STU, and UTUC participated in the talks. MP Joyce George and MLAs E.S. Bijimol and K.K. Jayachandran attended the talks.
Earlier in the day, five representatives of Pempilai Orumai, the women’s collective that had spearheaded the strike at the Kannan Devan Hills Plantation in Munnar, met the Minister at his official residence and handed over a memorandum comprising 18 demands.
Indefinite strike from Monday